Ealdor doesn't have a prince, Merlin
by Stracciatella
Summary: When the King of Camelot finally begins to see that not all magic is evil, Merlin hopes the time of Golden Age is drawing near. Just when he decides Arthur is ready for the truth, a mysterious group appears in the City turning his world upside down. With a whole new side to his destiny, Merlin needs this one prat more than ever. Royal!Merlin & reveal fic, no slash. Set after S4
1. Chapter 1

Hello! This will be a Royal!Merlin fic :) I wasn't a big fan of this kind of stories at first but I'm in love with this theme now. English is not my first language and I was very sleepy when I was writing this chapter, so please forgive me any mistakes. I'm almost falling asleep right now so I think I'll let this prologue speak for itself :)

Hopefully you guys will like my idea, enjoy!

* * *

He made a point of looking towards the armed guards to remind himself of their presence. Sharpened swords should help him keep his nerves under control. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. With his eyes closed for a second, he tried to gather his thoughts before looking at the King.

"Why not? Are your people not important?" he asked, not able to get rid of the accusatory tone. "Would you abandon them?"

The King was silent for a moment. He didn't look ashamed or troubled though, just deeply in thought. Somehow, that was unnerving.

"There is nothing I can do for them now" he finally said. "Lord Rethel, I am sorry for your loss, but I will not endanger the lives of my people for revenge."

"They were murdered in cold blood!" the man suddenly snapped. Startled, guards present in the chamber looked up, deciding they need to pay more attention. "You cannot abandon them like that! We have to avenge them! We have to!"

The sad look in his King's eyes made him even more furious. How can he just sit there like that? As if nothing has happened, as if they weren't important enough to fight for.

They were worth sacrificing an entire army if it came to it. They were worth a war.

"Your wife and son weren't murdered" the King said firmly. "They broke Camelot's law and were given a fair trial. The news saddened me, yet I cannot-"

"A FAIR trial?!" the man screeched. "There is no such thing as a fair trial in Camelot!"

"You and I both know they were caught practising magic. It was within Camelot's rights to follow their law. Had I known sooner, I would have done everything to prevent the execution. Now, there is nothing I can do for you, Lord Rethel."

Waiting for an outburst that never came, the King frowned with worry. He wasn't too familiar with this man, having only seen him a few times before, since his lands were quite a distance from the citadel. Handling distraught people was never easy, but people in mourning needed a whole different approach. Lord Rethel was incredibly hard to predict, so full of hatred and despair.

"You and I both know of the prophecies" Lord Rethel suddenly said, a glint of madness in his eyes. "But Camelot is not there yet. You cannot let this crime go unnoticed, unless you are siding with our enemies, Sire."

"Watch your tongue, Lord Rethel."

"I beg of you, help me avenge my family" the words were whispered so softly they were barely audible. "Help me avenge my family, declare a war if that's what it takes, or you will be the one responsible for shattering the future of many."

The guards shifted a little, ready to hold the man down if necessary, but despite his words it seemed all fight has left him.

"Help me, or else this united Albion everyone dreams of will never come to pass."

"You heard me" the King said, rising from his throne. "I believe you should consider your words more carefully, Lord Rethel, threatening your king is treason. The audience is over."

Lord Rethel was still for a long moment. Two of the guards stepped forward to lead him out of the chamber, when his head suddenly snapped up.

"You will regret this" he said, his voice void of any emotion. "Since you do not wish to bring justice, you do not deserve it yourself. There will be no peaceful future and no unity. And when the time comes, remember it's all your doing."

The King only waved his hands at the guards.

"Show him to his guest chambers. Lord Rethel needs to rest."

The guards approached the poor man who, by the time he finished talking, has slumped to his knees and held his head down, seemingly forgetting where he even was. He was just a poor soul that lost his loved ones, desperate to find compassion and comfort.

But revenge was not the way.

Letting the guards lead him out of the chambers, Lord Rethel was shaking slightly but his face was emotionless. Slowly shuffling his legs, he seemed someplace far, far away. He was in no condition to travel home, the King mused. He looked like a shadow of a man.

"Father?"

The King turned to see his 10 year old son leaning out from behind a pillar.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked sharply. The boy blushed a little and came forward to stand next to him.

"Since this man asked you to declare a war on someone. Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"Merlin, a prince should not be seen eavesdropping."

"...technically, I wasn't seen, was I?" the boy tried a smile, but the stern look on his father's face suggested that changing a subject was a good idea. "Why would he want a war?" he asked as he sat on the throne.

Balinor sighed.

"He is in a lot of pain, Merls. People tend to do the strangest things when their heart hurts."

"But why? What happened?"

"He lost his loved ones to another poor soul, tormented by his own conscience."

Little Merlin looked at him with a frown.

"Something bad happened to them? In this Camelot place?"

The King smiled sadly, although a distant trace of worry appeared in his eyes as he watched his only child making himself comfortable on the throne that was way too big for him. He couldn't even begin to imagine how miserable Lord Rethel was feeling now. If he ever lost his son...

"Yes, unfortunately. Don't worry though, Merls. Camelot is far away from here and you are perfectly safe as long as you never cross its border. You hear me? You are not allowed to ever set foot in Camelot."

Merlin pouted with his arms crossed and put on his best royal expression that he secretly practised in his chambers.

"You will not tell me what to do" he announced. "I will travel to Camelot if I feel like it."

Balinor was not impressed.

"No, you won't. And what is with that attitude?"

"You said I have to act more like a prince." Merlin said defensively. "And a prince doesn't take orders from anyone."

"From his father, he does" Balinor ruffled his hair earning a huff. "I mean it, my son. Camelot is a dangerous place for people like us."

Merlin deflated a little.

"Then how am I going to prove I am worth being called your son?" he mumbled under his nose, more to himself than anyone else.

"Oh Merlin" Balinor hugged his son to his chest as he laughed. "You have nothing to prove. You are my beloved child."

"But you said I-"

"You definitely lack the knowledge of manners and the court etiquette." Balinor's eyes twinkled with amusement at his son's scowl. "Sometimes it's good to play with the children in the town, yet sometimes it's right to greet an important guest that was travelling for a long time to see us."

"But it's so boring!" Merlin exclaimed theatrically, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

"But don't ever think you have to prove anything" Balinor continued, ignoring his little outburst. "I am so very proud of you for considering all our citizens your equals. I am amazed at your progress with your magic classes. I am not so thrilled by your swordsmanship-"

"The sword's too heavy" Merlin cut in defensively, but there were definitely hints of a smile on his face, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it.

"Of course it is" Balinor. "Promise me, Merls. Never cross the Camelot's border. Alright?"

Little Merlin nodded, still not entirely sure what was so bad about that place. Of course, he's just learned someone's family died there but it wasn't as if no one ever lost their lives in Athesia. What was so different about Camelot? Wouldn't he be fine if he just followed the law and avoided dark alleys?

Seeing the worry in his father's eyes, he shrugged off his questions and decided to let it go.

"I promise."

* * *

"How come you are still in bed? Merlin, get up this instant!"

A quiet groan came from under the blanket and silence once again filled the room. Not for long though, since Gaius felt obligated to prevent his ward from getting thrown into stocks. Again. He snatched the blanket away, revealing a young man who didn't even budge.

"He can go without one breakfast, Gaius" Merlin muttered sleepily. "Have you seen how many holes I had to put in his belt?"

The old man allowed himself a fond smile.

"He's gonna need all the strength he can get. The tournament starts today."

That seemed to finally wake Merlin up. He turned to lay on his back and scowled.

"Right."

Gaius seemed satisfied with his level of not-sleeping and exited the room, probably to start another round of delivering his draughts.

Merlin sighed deeply, gathering the strength to get up. He was feeling even more tired than when he went to bed last night. All kinds of memories flooded him again in his dreams, but he was used to that. What unsettled him though was the fact this time the memories were of his past. He would never turn his back on Athesia and decide to abandon it, yet at the same time it hurt to remember. He had no way of finding out how everyone was. No way of letting them know he was safe. He would never give up on his home, but at the same time he couldn't let the memories of his past mess up his present, or else he would have no future –Arthur would surely see to that if he was late to the tournament. He even made Merlin promise to do everything within his abilities to be a good servant just this once.

Groaning, Merlin got up.

Somehow he made a habit of not keeping his promises.

* * *

I almost named Merlin's kingdom MagicIsCool. Seriously, I had no idea making up kingdom names was this difficult. Athesia has a nice ring to it though, so MagicIsCool had to step down :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I was surprised the prologue got so many follows and favs, and I'd like to thank everyone who took their time to write a review. I love you guys and I dearly hope I won't disappoint you with this chapter :)**

 **Enjoy!**

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"Stop it."

Merlin frowned, putting down the chain mail he'd just picked up.

"Not that."

Confused, he picked it up again and turned to put it on his King, only to see him pacing around the tent.

"Merlin."

"What? I'm not even talking."

"Exactly." Arthur huffed and stopped abruptly. "I can see why you would be nervous, but at least try to compose yourself, will you?"

Merlin sighed. No one would ever believe him how awkward Arthur could be sometimes.

Taking advantage of the King finally being still, he shoved the chain mail over his head before he could start pacing again.

"There's nothing you need to feel nervous about, Sire." He teased, knowing full well what was really on his friend's mind. "It may be your first tournament since you're King, but you've seen how your father handled them. You'll do great."

"Who cares about the tournament!" Arthur exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. "It's the Druids I'm worried about!" He then locked his eyes with his servant's amused ones and immediately scowled. "I mean, it's you who is worried over nothing. Man up, Merlin."

Merlin only smiled and went to grab the remaining pieces of the King's armour.

"The Druids will be fine" he said after adjusting the last piece. Taking a step back, he admired his work. The chest plate was a bit crooked but surely no one would notice. "The tournament is what you need to focus on right now. I'm sure Gwaine will try to best you."

Arthur laughed.

"A man can dream."

"Indeed" Merlin smiled under his nose, watching his King exit the tent.

And with Arthur being worried for the Druids, he believed dreams really can come true.

If Arthur came unscathed out of the tournament, that is. Merlin gave up on trying to understand why those tournaments were so important. He always hated them since they forced him to be on high alert a few days in a row and it never failed to make him exhausted. Why was he the only one to see how easy an opening that was? Hey, want to kill the King? Why hire an assassin, there's a tournament coming soon, let's just wait and kill him ourselves! What a great fun. Not.

"Merlin!"

He rolled his eyes and hurried after Arthur who shot him an inpatient look.

"Relax" Merlin cut off whatever the other man was about to say. "The Druids can take care of themselves."

"As I have already said-"

"You're not worried about them. Right." He grinned again, not even bothering to hide it this time.

Arthur only scoffed and walked towards the arena.

"Good luck!" Merlin shouted after him and was ignored completely. Smiling to himself he joined Gaius among the audience. The physician greeted him with a nod and turned to watch the contestants. Arthur welcomed everyone and soon the first round has started.

"I think he's finally getting there" Merlin whispered. The other man raised his eyebrows at no one in particular, still facing ahead. "Maybe not today and not tomorrow, but soon. He was actually worried for them, you know?"

"That is wonderful, my boy."

Merlin felt his mentor's hand gently squeeze his shoulder and smiled, watching Arthur sit on his throne while the first round commenced. Son of Uther Pendragon, worried for the safety of the Druid camp near Camelot's eastern border. Who would have thought? _Many people will be travelling those routes, all because of the tournament,_ Arthur has said a few days back, tapping a place on a map with his finger. _Maybe we should warn- ...wear warm clothes and go for a short hunting trip? To the East this time. Pack up._

Dreams really do come true.

* * *

After the first rounds were over, almost four hours later, Merlin found himself exhausted. Not only he had to keep an eye on all contestants to make sure they weren't secretly trying to kill anyone, he also had to tend to Arthur during breaks, and now he was back to being a servant – the floor in royal chambers wouldn't clean itself. At least it seemed there was no magical threats this time and he was very grateful for that.

"Merlin"

He snapped out of his thoughts.

"What?"

The look on Arthur's face told him it wasn't the first time he was called so he just grinned sheepishly and got back to scrubbing the floor.

"Merlin!"

"What?" He put the brush down and looked at his King with exasperation. "I'm a little busy here."

Arthur scowled at him.

"Well then stop being busy." Just as Merlin was about to start ranting about God-knows-what-again, he added, "I saw someone using magic. I think."

When his servant paled visibly and failed to sprout some nonsense as he usually did, Arthur cleared his throat loudly, hoping to snap him out of this weird trance, but it didn't work. Merlin was as good as paralyzed.

"Oh don't be such a girl, Merlin." He scolded. "I mean, I think... I-" Shutting his mouth before he could say something very wrong and illegal, Arthur sighed and went to sit by his desk. "You know what, never mind. I probably imagined this."

Merlin blinked finally.

"What are you going to do about this?"

"I've just said I probably imagined this" Arthur growled, separating himself from his servant with some papers. "Forget it."

"Arthur." The paper he pretended to be reading was suddenly snatched away from his fingers and Merlin's face appeared right before his own. "Who was it? Should we be worried? I didn't see anyone."

"Calm down, will you?" Arthur rolled his eyes and this sight alone made Merlin gape at him.

"You don't mind?" he asked incredulously but the uncomfortable look his King was giving him was an answer enough. "You don't mind." He repeated and sat down, distinctly worried he might faint. He quickly thought his whole day over, desperately needing to make sure Arthur wasn't talking about him. The only time he's used magic today was just a little trick for fun and Arthur was nowhere near to see it. He let out a relieved sigh.

A quiet voice in the back of his mind told him he was being ridiculous. After all wasn't it what he wanted? For Arthur to know his secret and accept it? So when the King was finally willing to step onto the right path, Merlin should have rejoiced. Instead, a sudden realization hit him – out of the two of them, he was the one who wasn't ready. He's been thinking about revealing the truth for quite some time now, but still hasn't found the courage to do so. He trusted Arthur not to execute or banish him – the King has really changed for the better over the years, making his own choices and letting go of the blind hatred towards magic his father forced onto him – but he wouldn't expect his friend to forgive him for a ten years worth of lying. He wasn't hiding in fear for his life anymore, he was hiding so he wouldn't lose the person he treasured the most.

Merlin grimaced. The Druids would be so proud their great Emrys was such an egoistic coward.

"It was Gwaine." Arthur suddenly said and Merlin blinked at him, completely forgetting he was still in his presence. Then the words caught up to him.

"Gwaine?" he repeated dully. "Gwaine? The one who practically lives in the tavern Gwaine? Our Gwaine?"

"How many Gwaines do you know, you idiot?" Arthur grumbled.

Gwaine. Gwaine? No, that couldn't be right. He would know.

He would know.

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked after a long silence.

"Yes. No. I don't know! I just- I don't know anymore."

Arthur closed his eyes to calm down after his little outburst. Merlin knew him well enough to tell he was completely lost and it was making him frustrated. He would start pacing any second now.

With an unreadable look on his face, the King shot up from his chair and walked over to where Merlin was still sitting on the floor.

"Merlin."

He didn't have to say anything more. A silent plea in his voice was as clear as the sky and Merlin understood how out of depth Arthur felt. Even though he was shocked at the news, he was nowhere near as conflicted as Arthur. It warmed his heart to be reminded once again that his opinion mattered. And it mattered more than that of the Council.

"Gwaine is a great friend. He risked his life for us more than once, I trust him with all my heart."

Arthur sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming.

"I know that" he grimaced. "I know that." Merlin watched him as he resumed pacing around the chamber. Keeping quiet for once, he resolved to make sure Arthur wouldn't do anything stupid. Gwaine was their dear friend, and he was not evil. "That idiot!" Arthur groaned suddenly, kicking a table leg in frustration.

Merlin chuckled. He was doing his best to keep calm and even if it wasn't working too well, he was still doing a way better job than Arthur.

"You should talk to him" he suggested. "Let him explain, so you could understand his reasons."

Arthur stopped his pacing abruptly and spun around to look at him.

"No." He said without even thinking. "No, no. No. I cannot confront him about... about that." Seeing Merlin's surprised expression, he added, "I have been thinking about things, you know. I'm starting to develop this idea that maybe not all magic users are evil. Probably. Well, it's a possibility." When Merlin's eyes only got wider, Arthur suddenly felt nervous. "Hard to believe, I know. But there are some things I cannot ignore. What would I tell Gwaine, Merlin?"

Merlin only gaped at him further, but Arthur didn't notice, lost in his speech.

"I don't know what's right and wrong anymore. My father's views on magic were clear and I thought mine were too. And I blindly held on to them, even though they were shattered so many times already." The King looked so lost and confused, Merlin felt an impulse to hug him. It didn't went well the last time he's tried so he remained still, though. "So how could I confront Gwaine, when I still don't know what to make of his... his abilities? I need time, I need answers. And I don't know where to get them, where to even start."

Thinking for a few seconds, he glanced up at his servant.

"All I have is a few doubts. I heard a name, and some rumours." He sat down with a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Find him for me." Arthur took a deep breath and locked his eyes with Merlin's. "Tell him to be more careful. Someone could see."

To say Merlin was surprised would be a huge understatement. He was so shocked by what he's just heard that he went completely still, his mouth slightly open and his eyes fixed on his King. Has he just heard that right? Arthur was actually reconsidering his opinion on magic. He was willing to pursue the truth. He seemed afraid of what he could find out but he still wanted to understand.

Merlin felt himself swell with pride and had to blink a few times to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.

Arthur watched his servant and frowned.

"You're even more annoying when you're _not_ talking."

* * *

 **Things are finally looking up for our young warlock but he shouldn't get too used to it ;)**

 **Next up: the talk with Gwaine goes wrong and a visitor's arriving in Camelot. Hopefully it gets interesting from there, stay with me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi again :) Thank you for all the kind words, follows and likes!**

 **NightsAnger made me realize I forgot to write when this is taking place. This story is set some place after 4th season which basically means that Uther's dead, and Arthur and Gwen are married.**

 **This chapter was supposed to be half this long but I just couldn't stop writing it, there was always something important to add and in the end this is what I got xD I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, but I hope you'll like it.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Merlin's been standing in front of the tavern's door for a good while before the door suddenly opened and hit him square in the face.

"Whaddya doing here, boy?" He looked up to see a surprised man who was holding onto the door and swaying a little. "All the fun's inside."

Merlin scowled, rubbing his also was inside so there was no use staying here, he knew that. He knew that, but he still couldn't bring himself to enter. It's been a few days since his talk with Arthur yet he still felt a little dazed. Even though there was hope stirring inside him, he found himself nervous at the sole thought of having to break the news to Gwaine.

The drunk man eyed him suspiciously and then, having apparently decided Merlin needed some ale, unceremoniously pushed him inside, as every good citizen of Camelot would.

To avoid landing on his face, Merlin reached for something to hold on to and this particular something awarded him with a slap.

"This is not how you treat a lady!" a woman who definitely wasn't a lady scoffed and fortunately walked away before he could get himself into trouble.

Tavern just wasn't his forte.

"You need some serious help with courting women, mate."

He looked up to see Gwaine grinning at him from a table in the corner. He had a pitcher of ale in front of him and surprisingly was sitting alone.

"And the lost one still roams!"

Merlin shrieked, and later denied it profoundly, when suddenly someone yelled in his ear. It took him a moment to realize some drunkard was just singing his heart out on his way to get more ale. Almost dying from a heart attack, he was this close to storming off from this terrible place. Just how could Gwaine endure this madness?

"The veil is his queeeest!" the man screeched swaying a bit, and some other people joined in. Merlin fought a need to facepalm, and facepalm hard when he heard a choir of mostly drunk voices, Gwaine included, singing what probably was a chorus. "Now our guest! A guest distressed, not possessed, maybe bleeessed! So impressed! With our ALE!"

Gwaine raised his mug in a greeting when Merlin finally managed to get to his table.

"Finally taking up my offer, are you?"

"I'm not here to drink, Gwaine" Merlin smiled apologetically, when the other man literally pouted. "I- There's something I want to- something we should talk about."

"Talk away then."

Merlin looked around with a frown.

"Would you mind a... little more private place?"

Gwaine chuckled at the question.

"I know it may be hard to believe, but there's actually very few places more discreet than here" he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Unless you know how to listen."

"Yes, exactly, and I would rather if no one listened" Merlin sighed when Gwaine looked longingly at his pitcher filled with ale. "Fine, alright. You're impossible."

Gwaine gave a proud smile and took a big gulp, waiting for his friend to talk.

"So" he prompted after a while when Merlin still hasn't said a word. The young servant was sitting in front of him, looking troubled if a little hopeful, and definitely silent. "Was Princess being an ass again?"

Merlin raised his eyes to meet Gwaine's and Gwaine couldn't help but frown. He was getting worried over his friend for acting so nervous. Merlin was only nervous when something bad was about to happen. He had some sort of a misfortune alert in his mind, Gwaine imagined. And seeing him now, barely able to sit still and hands trembling, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"You're starting to freak me out, mate."

Merlin breathed deeply in hope of calming himself down.

"Sorry" he mumbled. "I'm just really not used to this kind of talks." Gwaine remained silent and Merlin could tell he was just dying to find out what this was all about, but there was one more thing that needed to be said. "Your secret is safe with me" he offered finally in a firm whisper, having decided it's actually a nice thing to start with.

"My secret?" Gwaine repeated and Merlin tried to ignore the look of cautious confusion on his face.

"I would never let anything happen to you." Merlin continued. "I swear it on my life."

Gwaine was speechless for a moment when it dawned on him Merlin was actually serious. His voice was filled with such emotion that Gwaine could not bring himself to form any words of his own.

"You know where my loyalties lie, Merlin" he finally managed to say, although way softer than his usual tone. "I would gladly give my life for yours."

He wondered for a second if he should feel offended when Merlin looked up surprised. The thought was quickly dismissed though, because a second later Merlin flashed him a broad grin. And when he took a big breath, Gwaine knew he was finally going to hear the news.

"It's about Arthur" Merlin hesitated a bit as Gwaine raised his eyebrows. "He knows."

Gwained frowned, then paled, then stood up abruptly and quickly sat down again. He inhaled deeply, and Merlin relaxed a bit when no one so much as even looked in their direction.

Watching all kinds of different emotions showing on his friend's face, Merlin wondered how he would react if they traded places, if it was Gwaine who told him Arthur knew he had magic. He doubted he would be this calm. He would probably have a mental breakdown, completed with a hysterical panic episode.

"Oh, shit" Gwaine ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. "How? Do you know how he learnt? Have you talked to him?"

"He saw you" Merlin hurried with an explanation. "It would seem no one else did though. Arthur... He asked me to pass a message to you." Merlin allowed himself a small smile. "He said you should be more careful."

A confused look flashed across Gwaine's face but Merlin paid it no mind, too absorbed to notice anything at the moment, his eyes shining with glee. The nervousness he felt earlier vanished, leaving excitement in its place.

"It doesn't mean he's completely fine with it, but he finally started seeing the law isn't flawless! He's willing to learn, Gwaine, can you imagine? Of course being the prat that he is, he didn't want you to know that he knows, but I just had to tell you. Isn't that wonderful news?"

Gwaine closed his mouth, not noticing when he's even opened it, and looked at his friend incredulously.

"That's... that's great" he stumbled over his words. "But I think I'm missing something."

"...on the long forgotten land!" a few people sang in unison. More or less. "A home to dragons and unicooorns! They don't know they're banned!"

"I really hate that song" Merlin complained.

"What have I done that exposed you?" Gwaine asked worriedly, ignoring him. "What did Arthur see me do?"

"He-" Merlin frowned. "You didn't expose me. You exposed yourself" he corrected. Maybe Gwaine was actually more drunk that it seemed? He would hate to have to repeat everything he's just said.

"But there's nothing to expose" Gwaine said slowly. "Except maybe that stupid nobility thing, but I really doubt Arthur would advise me to be careful with _that_."

"What do you mean there's nothing to expose" Merlin paled visibly. "Then why were you-"

"Hey, calm down" Gwaine cut him off before Merlin could connect the dots and set himself off into panic. He cursed quietly, angry with himself for not realizing Arthur's mistake sooner. If he had, he would steer the conversation away from the dangerous parts and wouldn't just scare his poor friend out of his mind. "And breath" he added to make sure Merlin wouldn't faint on him. "The Princess must have noticed that barrel" he mused, remembering how he almost got crushed saving a beautiful daughter of some contestant a day before the tournament started, when a week's worth supply of mead got loose and began rolling off the cart. The barrel changed its course right before crashing into him. "He just assumed wrong."

"You know." Merlin deadpanned, the memory clear in his mind as well.

"...Yes. I know."

"How long?"

Gwaine grinned sheepishly, but the terrified look on Merlin's face reminded him it wasn't a joking matter.

"Remember that time when we got into a fight in that tavern?" Gwaine asked, and then realized that wasn't very specific. "On the day we met?"

Merlin's only response was stealing the pitcher and gulping the entire content in one go.

"...SO IMPRESSED WITH OUR ALE!"

* * *

Silence.

In the fast approaching evening, the forest was calm, tranquil even. There was no wind, no howling in the air. Sun was just barely hovering above the ground, sending last rays through the leaves.

Silence.

The forest was never silent. How could it be, so full of life. Yet the eerie silence was spreading, a warning - something was coming.

Someone was coming.

The sound of hooves suddenly cut through the air, getting faster and faster and louder. A shape appeared in the distance, a sturdy stallion and its rider whose long robe was fluttering behind him, torn in many places. Faster, and faster.

Reaching a clearing, not slowing down even for a second, looking back every once in a while, they went faster and faster, towards the citadel towering on the horizon.

With them gone, the forest burst with life.

The lower town greeted the visitor at dusk. And as the townspeople watched, pointed fingers and whispered, he rode, never stopping, exhaustion showing in his every move, not caring he almost trampled children playing on the road. Followed by outraged shouts, he rode faster.

Seeing the horse, Merlin winced. When the man dismounted, the poor animal refused to take another step on its shaky legs. What desperation must have driven him to travel in such haste?

The stranger took a few wobbly steps towards him and Merlin couldn't shake off a feeling he saw him before. He wanted to ask, but somehow he didn't. He wanted to move, panic spreading inside him, but somehow he couldn't. He recognized then what he was wearing. The guard's uniform, completed with the armour and a spear. Why would he be put on guard?

"I request an audience with the King" the man croaked and promptly fainted.

Suddenly, Merlin found himself staring at a stone wall. He relaxed a little when he realized this stone wall was in fact the ceiling in his room. He flexed his fingers, just to make sure he could move again, that the dream was over.

And it was, but the uneasy feeling remained.

Wondering if this could be a vision and if he should care (the man didn't seem dangerous, desperate and afraid were more like it), Merlin sat up in his bed and decided to ignore this dream, just like he's done countless of times recently. He already had the tournament to worry about, and his head was killing him. He might have drunk a bit too much the evening before, but, even with the pounding headache, he didn't regret it. The talk with Gwaine went wrong on some many levels, he just needed that ale.

How did he even end up in his room, he wondered. Having some trouble with concentrating, it seemed his memory wasn't quite cooperative. He sighed, dropping the thought, and got out of bed right onto his new rug, which was warm and he loved it.

Only the rug groaned and he didn't even have a rug.

"GWAINE" he yelled, jumping away in fright. "What the hell are you doing on my floor!"

"Tryin' to sleep, so shaddap" was the answer.

Merlin just shook his head in disbelief, immediately regretting it when the headache increased tenfold, and tried to prevent his heart from bursting out of his chest with deep breaths. Stepping over the form of his friend, he exited the room.

"You're up" Gaius greeted him with surprise. His quirked eyebrow almost vanished under his hairline. "I was sure I wouldn't see any of you for the better part of the day."

"That bad?" Merlin sat at the table and winced when the old man laughed.

"Oh, my boy. Even worse."

Merlin sighed.

"My head feels as if someone used it for a knife throwing practice. Do you have anything, you know...?"

"In front of you."

He looked at the table and found two vials waiting there, one probably meant for Gwaine, although Merlin suspected the man has developed a certain kind of hangover immunity over the years. He quickly drank the sour draught and scowled. Seeing his guardian's amused look, he refrained from complaining.

"Gwaine knows" he said instead.

"Merlin!" Gaius shot him an exasperated glare.

"No, no! He already knew" Merlin hurried to say, afraid the physician's ever-challenging eyebrow would be haunting him in his dreams if the man kept this expression any longer. "Remember when I told you about Arthur discovering Gwaine had magic? Gwaine doesn't have magic." Merlin leaned on the table on his forearms and rubbed his temples, as if it would make the memory disappear along with the others. "We misunderstood each other, and while I was talking about him, he thought I was talking about myself. He was hiding from me that he knows I have magic. He didn't want to make me feel _stressed_. How ironic is that?" he laughed humourlessly.

"Does he know... the other thing?" Gaius asked, placing a bowl of porridge in front of his ward.

"No. He wasn't in Camelot when Kilgharrah attacked." Merlin eyed the bowl suspiciously. "Are you sure it's edible? There's something green in it."

"I added some herbs. Does he know the _other_ other thing?"

"He might have heard the prophecies, I don't think he would connect them with me though."

Gaius went silent for a moment, holding back a laugh at Merlin's obvious discomfort caused by the porridge. He really didn't seem in mood for eating.

"You won't feel better if you don't eat. The draught will start working soon" he offered and Merlin nodded at him gratefully. "And you know, _the_ thing?"

Merlin shook his head slightly, careful not to send his vision spinning again.

"No, he knows nothing of it."

The physician sighed contently and busied himself with some liquids on his workbench, letting Merlin eat in peace. A few minutes have passed, the silence broken only by loud snoring from upstairs, and occasionally some munching, when Merlin spoke again.

"At least I think so. I don't exactly remember."

"Have you heard anything?" Gaius asked, looking up from his work.

Merlin frowned.

"Yes? I've just said-"

"Must've been my imagination." Gaius cut him off. His face was thoughtful but Merlin could easily see the poorly-concealed exasperation. "No one could be this stupid."

Merlin only groaned, knowing full well he deserved it.

* * *

"When will Gwen be back?" Merlin complained, picking up dirty clothes from all over the chamber. Honestly, just how could one person make such a mess. So he wasn't here the evening before to help the prat undress, but Arthur could really do a better job of expressing his displeasure. With his Queen around, at least he kept the chambers relatively clean.

"Just in time to see me win the tournament" Arthur replied absentmindedly over some papers he was reading.

"She shouldn't be allowed to travel on her own too often, you know" Merlin held his breath, diving under the bed to fetch one particularly stinking sock. "Just think of all the dangers-"

"Stop whining like a little girl, Merlin." Arthur smirked at his servant's scowl. "It's not my fault my manservant vanished into thin air when he should have been attending to me."

"I was in the tavern" Merlin said defensively. He quickly realized his mistake when Arthur's eyebrows shot up in an amused expression.

"Yes, that would explain a lot."

Merlin scowled. The draught Gaius gave him managed to dull his headache quite well, but it had yet to disappear. It was hard to concentrate like this and Arthur took every advantage of his state to rile him just a bit more. It was annoying, but Merlin couldn't be mad at him. After all, he would do the same.

"I was just doing what you asked."

"I don't remember ever ordering you to spend a night in a tavern."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"But you told me to talk with Gwaine."

"Haven't you done this already?" Arthur put away the parchment he was reading and looked at his servant incredulously. "I believe we talked about this almost a week ago."

"You just forgot to give me some time off so I could actually go and do it" Merlin said. "Have you ever wondered how much additional work we get because of your stupid tournaments?"

Arthur waved his hand dismissively, not interested in his servant's _another_ rant about the awful, terrible tournaments.

"Yes, fine, whatever. Did Gwaine tell you anything?"

"That he doesn't have magic."

"Of course he would say that!" Arthur groaned. "He was hiding it for who knows how long! Don't tell me you believed him, just like that." Merlin couldn't help but stare at his King for a moment, trying to comprehend that reaction. "He probably just used you to reassure me."

"I know for sure. Trust me on this, he doesn't have magic." Merlin pressed and something in his tone seemed to do the trick. Arthur deflated a little in his chair and Merlin chuckled at that. "You almost look disappointed."

"Shut up. Just get to work."

Merlin only nodded, too surprised to retort. Could this really be possible or was he imagining things? He scolded himself for getting his hopes up, yet at the same time refused to abandon them. This could be it. This could be what he worked so hard for. His head was spinning, and this time it had nothing to do with ale.

"The first fight starts at noon, Merlin, now if you would just move that clumsy backside of yours and get anything done by then, I would be most grateful."

Merlin grinned. Some things never change.

* * *

When the door closed behind them, both men sighed with relief. It was a long day. Merlin has spent it running back and forth between his chores, then the last round of the tournament began and he did his best not to fall asleep among the cheering crowd. Another day or two and this madness would be over, he kept telling himself but it didn't change the fact he was exhausted. Somehow, Gwaine was faring quite well. He won his fight without much trouble, but again, he was probably immune to any unpleasant side effects of alcohol by this time.

Arthur made a great show, too, as much as Merlin hated to admit it. His opponent seemed ruthless in his previous fights, yet he stood no chance in a duel with the King of Camelot. However proud, Merlin still hated these useless displays of power.

"Get me out of this" Arthur groaned, too tired to even begin taking his own armour off.

And this was it, Merlin thought nervously as he got to work. The most difficult task of this day was still ahead. He was thinking this through the entire day, considering every possibility of this talk going wrong. He would hate for it to go wrong. But would it really? After all he heard from Arthur recently? It started long before the Druids situation. Arthur being worried for their safety was simply the first time he openly admitted he cared, but it was a long time since he started having doubts about magic being entirely evil. And with Gwaine? Hadn't he just decided to trust his knight and protect his non-existent secret?

It would be wise to confide in Gaius. Or Kilgharrah. Or Gwaine even. But he was afraid they would find a good reason against it. One that would convince him, and – he realized with surprise – he really wanted to do it. It seemed Arthur was ready.

Maybe not for everything all at once. After all, he had a lot of secrets. But Arthur was his friend, no matter what the prat said, and if he was willing to learn, if he wanted to see and decide on his own, if he was ready to throw away his father's teachings, then so was Merlin.

Most of anything, he felt proud. Arthur was not only the greatest warrior he knew, he was also a good man, and a brave one. Brave enough to pursue the truth, even if the truth wasn't exactly what he would like it to be. Had he not killed people whose sole crime was possessing magic? If magic wasn't evil, then what did that make him if not a cold blooded murderer? And Merlin knew Arthur was aware of that, especially after the incident with Elyan being possessed all those months ago.

He was not there yet, but he was ready. And Merlin wouldn't risk everything falling apart by waiting too long, as it has happened in the past. Arthur needed guidance, and no matter how hard it would be to finally reveal his secret and face his King's wrath, he was willing to guide him.

And then, he thought shyly, when his task as Emrys was done, with the arrival of the Golden Age, he would ask a favour in return. He would ask his friend for help in saving his home.

"Snap out of it." A pillow hit him in the face and fell to the ground, before he even remember when he was. "I asked you to prepare me a bath, idiot. Three times."

Merlin sighed and picked up the pillow with shaking hands. His heart was racing in his chest and he felt a bit sick. Trust him, said a little voice in his mind. He can handle it, just trust him.

And here goes.

"Arthur" he started and winced at his own tone, tentative and cautious. He took a deep breath, remembering the last time he was forced to fight some evil sorcerer and trying to sound at least half as confident as back then. Arthur only gave him a tired look. "Sire. There is something I would like to share with you."

"Hopefully not fleas" came a charming answer. "Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? I'm barely standing."

"Then sit" Merlin grinned, although he certainly wasn't in mood for laughing. "Actually, it would be wise if you sat down, really. It cannot wait another moment, it's already been too long."

Gaius will kill me for this, if Arthur doesn't, Merlin thought. Then he realized this could be his last thought so he decided to think something nice instead. Freya had most lovely eyes. Yes, that was nice enough.

"Arthur, I have-"

There was a loud thud on the door and Merlin groaned loudly, not even surprised. Honestly, could anything _ever_ go well in his life? Arthur shot him a curious glance before turning his attention to the door.

"Enter."

A guard appeared in the doorframe.

"Sire, a man has arrived at the gate" he announced. "He lost consciousness but the physician's deemed him sound just now, he requests an audience."

"Can't he bloody wait until morning" Arthur spat with annoyance and the guard flinched ever slightly. "What is his cause?"

"He talked of sorcerers, my lord. He asked for shelter but wouldn't say much more."

 _No. No, no, this couldn't be happnening._

Merlin's heart dropped a bit at the gloomy shadow that crossed Arthur's face.

Just his luck.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it :)**

 **Edit 11 March 2016**

 **Hello :) I'd like to apologize to everyone for the long wait. It may still take me a while to update, but I want you guys to know that I have not abandoned this story. I had a rough time in my life which took me by surprise, but things have recently cleared out a bit and soon I'll be able to actually work on this fic (especially since I'm really inspired after such a long break :D)  
**

 **I'd also like to thank all the lovely people who took their time to leave a review! Reading them now was very encouraging. Thanks so much!**

 **Please look forward to hearing from me in the near future :)**


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